The Causes of Heartburn and Why You Should Take It Seriously Have you ever experienced feeling a burning sensation that starts in your upper abdomen and builds up just behind your breastbone and that the pain and burning sensation is often accompanied by a sour taste in your mouth? If you have, then you are suffering from a condition called heartburn. Lastly, you should start losing weight. This will help relieve heartburn symptoms and you will also look better and feel more energetic if you do. These are the home remedies that you can do in order for you to manage heartburn effectively. Remember these tips and you can be sure that heartburn will not take control of you life and you will also lessen your dependency on medications to treat heartburn. Also, you have to avoid going to bed on a full stomach. Stay up at least 3 hours after eating your last meal before you go to bed. This will give the acids a chance to decrease before your body is in a position where heartburn will likely occur, which is lying down. If you are a smoker, then you should quit smoking as the nicotine content in cigars and cigarettes can weaken the lower esophageal sphincter, which is basically the muscle the controls the opening between the esophagus and the stomach. You also have to keep in mind that chronic heartburn can sometimes lead to much more serious complications, which will require you to seek immediate medical attention. If you are already throwing up blood or passing blood in your stools, experiencing dizziness, severe pain or light headedness, have difficulty in swallowing, feeling of dehydration, and you lost weight unintentionally, this is the time that you should call your doctor and go to the hospital. Most people who experiences frequent heartburn says that this condition can really prevent you from doing your daily activities. In short, heartburn can prevent you from living a normal life. This is why a lot of people buy over the counter medicines to ease the pain caused by heartburn. You have to keep in mind that over the counter medicines can work for mild cases of heartburn but if you are suffering from a severe case of heartburn, then you may want to try consulting your doctor as this may already be a sign of a more serious illness. Carbonated drinks increase the amount of gas in the body, which will eventually put pressure on the stomach. On the other hand, water does not and it will help flush down stomach acid. The sixth way is to drink a cup of green tea every day. The antioxidants in green tea will help get rid of unwanted toxins in your body.